5 Reasons You Should Start Running this Spring

Here at The Active Times we're big advocates of finding and sticking to a form of exercise that you truly love—an activity that you wholeheartedly enjoy and that you look forward to almost every day.

Running isn't for everyone, but if you've simply assumed it's just not for you without giving it a fair try, you might be missing out on a sport you could actually grow to love.

Here are a few reasons we think you should give running a try this spring.

1. It will give you the opportunity to spend more time outside.
Spending time in the great outdoors can be extremely beneficial to your health. Exercising outside has been linked to increased serotonin levels (which are associated with feelings of well-being and happiness), improved sleep quality and decreased stress levels, just to name a few of the many benefits.

2. It's the perfect excuse to buy a new pair of totally awesome sneakers.
Running requires a quality pair of kicks, which is perfect because we know you're itching to finally store away your winter boots and trade them in for a lighter, more vibrant shoe choice.

3. You can set a goal to run your first 5k this fall.
Maybe you’ve always fantasized about running a 5k, or maybe it’s never even crossed your mind. Either way, if you start running now, you’ll be in tip top shape to comfortably complete a fun race by the time fall rolls around and the weather starts to cool down.

4. You can spend less time with boring cardio equipment.
Don’t get us wrong, ellipticals, stairmasters, spin bikes and treadmills all serve useful purposes. But if you spent the entire winter working out on these machines in the gym, we bet you’re starting to get a bit bored. Taking your cardio workouts outside can help to switch things up a bit. The fresh scenery and a new challenge will reignite your workout motivation.

5. You might just fall in love.
Like we said earlier, we get that running just isn’t for everyone. But you won’t know until you try, and we’re willing to bet that if you give it a fair chance (and by that we mean, you stick with it for a month or two—because it will take some time until you actually feel comfortable) you may just fall in love with the sport.